Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-06-19
is H0RSEMEN
now FHB CHIEF MAGISTRATES HAyE
REGARDED HORSES
washingbns White Chsrgsrs-AndrsW Jaek-
SIMS Race Hars@-Ths TurnOus Of Othsr
Prssidsnt-LiDcOlas Horses Like
wise Grants
Naoa-iae Or Ameicaa Rfgors.


Nasa-iae Of Amezicaa RTsOry.
General Grant has gone into history as
the man on horseback. WashingtOn's
portraits are largely equestrian, and as
sociated with every period Of Jackson's
career arc the horOes he loved so well.
Old citizens of Alexandria say that
Washington rode the finest horses in Eir-
ginia, and that as a boy he broke to the
saddle the colts of his neighborhOOd. 1t
is said that he Once rode ten different
horses into Alexandria in a single week,
and during his latter years his stables at
Mount Vernon were among the best in the
country. He visited his horses upon Tis-
ing in the morning and always saw
that they had their breakfast before
he took his own. He kept thorO-
ughbred horses and his estab-
lishment at Mount Vernon was much like
that of q great English lord. He had his
pack of hounds, and before h Revolution
he was very fond Of fox hunting. BE fol-
lowed the hounds everywhere, and was al
ways in at the death. He had a regular
hunting costume, and his fayorite hunter
was a fiery, long limbed horse which he
called 'Blueskin, probably from its color,
a fine, dark iron gray. His hunting cos
tune was a blue coat, a scarlet waistcoat,
buckskin breeehes, and tap boNts. He
wasa velvet cap, and carried 3 whip with
n long throng. He ridiculed the idea that
he could be thrown, and he was wont to
say that he required only one good quality
in a horse, namely, sit must 60 along"
1t was his custom at Mount Vernon, prior
to the Revolution, to hunt three times a
week, and the game chased was made up
of gray foxes and stays. His last nun
was in 1885, when he killed a stag weigh
ing lac pounds.
George Washington was very kind 70 his
horses, and displayed a great deal OF sentl-
ment in connection with his treatment Of
some of them. The horse he rode when he
received sword of CORVALLIS, on the 18th
of October, 1871, was a fine chestnut
charger with white face and legs. Wash
ington took him to Mount Vernon after the
war. but never allowed him to do a stroke
Of work.
At Philadelphia, while Washington was
President, the Executive stables were In
charge of a man called German John, .
and at another time Of Bishop, the oio
body servant of General BraddOck. These
chief hostlers had anumber of negro boys
under them, and George Washington Parke
GUSTS says that Washington horses were
of the kind known as muslin horses"
This name came from the testing OF the
cleanliness of the horses with a fine hand
kerchief. This was brushed over
their coats after they were
dressed, and if the slightest spot OF dir
came off upon the handkerchief, they were
not considered well curried, and TIE stable
boys were tied up and whipped FOR theii
3 negligence. The president drove q team
of white chargers, and the grooming o
, these" SAYS Gusts, twill rather surprise
the moderns. The night before the horse
were expected to be ridden they were en-
tirely covered over with a paste, of which
whiting was the principal component
part. Thea tie animals were
swathed in body clothes, anC
left to sleep clean straw. n rh'
morning the com ,~OsitiOn had become
+ hard. II was well rubbed in and th'
horses were curried ID brushed. Thi!
process gave to their oats a beautiful
glossy and satin-like appearance. Thj
I hOofs were now blacked and polished, tn,
. mouths washed, the teeth picked anC
$ cleaned, and, the leopard-sk!n housing
s being properly adjusted, the white charger
were led out for service. Such was tn
grooming of ancient times"
President Washington's coach, which h
used with these horses, was the finest cor
riage in Philadelphia, and it. panels wer
e painted by one OF the great painters OF tina
day. One Of these panels is preserved Il
the collection of relics IN the Nationa
: Museum at Washington. 1t Is a cope
u medallion as big as a dinner plate, ant
y the inscription connected with it say
that the coach was of q cream color, an,
il had four Of these medalliOns upon II
each of which contained a painting b,
Capriana, a famous painter of the times
The body of the vehicle was IN the shape Q
a hemisphere, and It's cre,m color was or
namented with cup-ds supporting f~estOons
and with garl3nds Of flowers around tn
a panels. Add TO the white horses and thei
splendid trapp.4gs this gorgeous coach An
equally gorgeous fOOtman and co Nchmau
and you may have some idea Of the turn
], out Of our first President. In addition Il
this there was a chariot kept especially TO
Mrs. Washington, which was a four hors
affair, with Positions in livery.
u Washington's stables at. Philadelphia
!, contained 10 coach and saddle horses il
addition to the two white chargers. H
had q cOachman and two grooms, and hi
servants who accompanied him in his ride
were white. They wore liveries OF whit
cloth trimmed with scarlet or orange. TIL
white charges were the horses of state
- and one of these was the President
:. ~favorite saddle horse. He was a fin
parade horse, rs white a SNOW
and 10 hands high. His name was Pres
colt, and the president thought a grea
deal of him, though he had an annoyin
habit of dancing about on the approach Q
y a carriage. 1t was the custom then 70
ladies in driving to order their cOachmeI
to stop and let down the glasses of thei
= coach whenever the president apprOache,
on horseback, in order that he nigh
pay his compliments. Upon such oC
~casions Prescott would always dance, an
= | doubt not Washington became at time
!, not a little exssperated at him. The Othe
, charger was also purely white, with flow
ing name and tale. He was an Arabian
" steed, very high spirited and so fiery tina
no N but Washington could ride hiI
> with comfort.
Thomas Jefferson kept the finest G
a horses in his stables, and he paid yer
!, high prices for some ofthem. At the tim
of his Inauguration he rode to the CapitC
on his favorite horse, wild Air. an
the generations of patriots since the
have delighted in recounting the Jefer
a sOnian simplicity with which he jumpe
from his horse himself, and, tyil
If him to the fence with his own hand:
If walked into the Capitol. The truth, how
ever, is that this act was forced upOn him
He had hoped to drive to his inanguratio
in a fine turnout, and his ~son-in-law, Jacl
J. Epps, had been sent off to buy four coac,
horses at a price ofS1, 900, but did not re
v turn to Washington in time, thus tn
v President rode on horseback.
While jefferson was President he too
horseback rides every afternoon from
until 3, and he kept up this riding on horse
back until within three weeks of his death
. He was q bold and fearless rider, and de
n / ltghNal -, ..S,,r olNna IT,